Seal is beaten unconscious by tourists in Kazakhstan so 'children could take pictures with it'

Seal is beaten unconscious by tourists in Kazakhstan so ‘children could take pictures with it’ days after another cub was pelted with rocks on a beach

  • The incident was filmed in Kuryk village on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea
  • A group of men launched their attack and beat the seal with sticks and boulders  
  • A crowd of people gathered to watch but did nothing to stop the violence 

A seal was beaten unconscious by tourists in Kazakhstan so ‘children could take pictures with it’, just days after another cub was pelted with rocks on a beach.   

The shocking incident was filmed in the village of Kuryk, located on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, and shared online yesterday.

The clip shows a group of men attacking the defenceless animal with sticks and boulders after it came close to the shore.

A crowd of people gather around to watch the brutal assault and appear to do nothing to stop the violence.

A group of men raise stones and sticks above their heads as they prepare to unleash an attack on the seal

A group of men raise stones and sticks above their heads as they prepare to unleash an attack on the seal

The defenceless animal can be seen writhing around as the men continue to rain down a series of blows

The defenceless animal can be seen writhing around as the men continue to rain down a series of blows

A group of people gathered around the scene of the attack, appearing to do nothing to help the animal

A group of people gathered around the scene of the attack, appearing to do nothing to help the animal

The savage attack lasted until the seal lost consciousness, according to news reports.

An unnamed witness said told local media: ‘They beat the seal up until it passed out.

‘Then they pulled it out of the water so that children could take pictures and have fun.

‘After that, they threw the motionless body back into the sea. I don’t know if it survived.’

A similar incident was also captured on camera this week in the city of Aktau, around 43 miles from Kuryk.

In the video, a group of tourists can be seen pelting stones and rocks at a baby seal after the animal approached them.

Kazakh model Yevgeniya Mukasheva shared the clip with her followers and captioned it: ‘If an animal comes close to you, it means it trusts you.

‘How could you throw stones at the defenceless pup and laugh? Have you lost your mind?!’

In the video a playful grey seal pup can be seen swimming near one of the city beaches, coming close to the shore before being showered with boulders and stones

In the video a playful grey seal pup can be seen swimming near one of the city beaches, coming close to the shore before being showered with boulders and stones

A man can be seen holding a rock before pelting it towards the small seal pup, who has curiously approached the shore

The seal narrowly avoids being hit

A man can be seen holding a rock before pelting it towards the small seal pup, who has curiously approached the shore

Commenting on the incident, Kazakh authorities expressed their disapproval.

Saken Dildakhmet, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources told: ‘The way people acted in the video is outrageous and wild.

‘Such an attitude can cause a great damage to the fauna of the Caspian Sea and adversely affect the behaviour of these animals who may become aggressive and attack people.

‘We ask you to show respect to nature.’ 

Caspian seals are at serious risk of extinction, local TV media reported. The attackers beat the seal unconscious so that 'children could take pictures with it', before throwing its lifeless body back into the sea

Caspian seals are at serious risk of extinction, local TV media reported. The attackers beat the seal unconscious so that ‘children could take pictures with it’, before throwing its lifeless body back into the sea 

Seals are curious animals who often approach people, the environment authorities said.

Mr Dildakhmet added: ‘The seal in the clip is young and playful. The seals are mostly very friendly and curious marine mammals. We should admire them.’

Police are now hunting the perpetrators involved in both cases, who could face a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Kazakh media say some swimmers were bitten by seals in June and needed hospital to have a rabies shot in the same Mangistau region.

That incident may have sparked the most recent violent attack from those in the videos, reports NURKZ.

source: dailymail.co.uk